July 17 Writer Birthdays

1888 - Shmuel Yosef Agnon (published in Hebrew under the acronym Shai Agnon and in English as S.Y. Agnon) Nobel Prize-winning Ukrainian-born author who work explores conflicts between the modern world and traditional Jewish life and language; he is considered a central figure in modern Hebrew literature and has been called "one of the great storytellers of our time."

1889 - Erle Stanley Gardner, American lawyer and author of mysteries and pulp fiction, best known for creating the world's most famous fictional lawyer, Perry Mason.

1912 - Michael Gilbert, British author of mysteries, thrillers, and short stories; he was also a lawyer who had writer Raymond Chandler as a client.

1921 - Robert V. Remini, National Book Award-winning historian and professor who wrote a multi-volume biography of U.S. President Andrew Jackson.

1924 - Olive Ann Burns, American writer best known for her novel Cold Sassy Tree; as a journalist, she wrote under the pseudonym Amy Larkin.

1932 - Karla Kuskin, American poet who writes, illustrates, and reviews children's books; she was nominated for a National Book Award.

1946 - Chris Crutcher, American family therapist and author of young-adult novels, many of which focus on teenage boys who are athletes who face personal problems; his books are controversial and are often banned because of their honest depictions of subjects such as religion, homosexuality, poverty, and child abuse.

1951 - Mark Bowden, American journalist, magazine editor, and author; his book Black Hawk Down was made into a popular movie.

Catherine M. Petrini

Who Am I?

I am a published author of 28 books for children and young adults, a former magazine editor, and mom to an 8th-grader. My published works include 20 books for Sweet Valley High and other teen fiction series, all written under pseudonyms. My nonfiction kids' books, written under my own name, are on topics ranging from Dragons to Stonehenge to the Cherokee Indians. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, drawing, photography, traveling, overthrowing the governments of small countries, befriending dragons, slaying demons, and ruining my son's life by making him do his homework.